Educational Theories for Pedagogues

Teaching Philosophy, Teaching Style I teach in such a way that students can gain the tools and experience to help them successfully contribute to the world today. In that respect, my teaching philosophy is based on empowering students so that they are equipped to both have aspirations and fulfill them in a way that is socially productive.

Subsequently, one of the fundamental characteristics of my teaching philosophy is to encourage students, and provide the sort of nurturing and positive reinforcement that fosters confidence and enables them to firstly believe in themselves and in their own abilities. Thus, there is a definite aspect of care and care ethics that actuates the way I teach. This principle is well aligned with my belief in positive reinforcement as one of the fundamental ways of bolstering the learning prowess of students through techniques such as constructive criticism.

Additionally, I also attempt to teach in a way that utilizes the Socratic Method as much as possible, even working with young learners. Although it is necessary to maintain an authoritarian presence with students for the sake of classroom management, when it comes to imparting didacticism I believe it is more advantageous for students to perceive their lessons as an educational experience that we are all embarking on, including me in my role as the instructor.

Thus, I am frequently found utilizing leading questions and a democratic process of learning that is definitely Socratic (Sanford, 2003) in which students not only receive the sort of encouragement and positive self-esteem values to give them the confidence to actively participate, but they also learn to think for themselves while taking part in a collaborative process.

The reason why my teaching philosophy encompasses aspects of positive reinforcement, care ethics, and the Socratic Method, is because I believe that the experiences students undergo at a young age -- during the critical stages of their cognitive and social development -- profoundly influence their future character. Moreover, I am also convinced of the tenet referred to as tabula rasa, which plays a profound role in why I have adopted the aforementioned teaching philosophy.

I truly believe that students are akin to the sort of blank slate denoted by this concept (of tabula rasa) (Bunch, 1994), and that as pedagogues we are tasked with forming and shaping them in such a way that they can make positive contributions to society. I realize there are some instructors who believe that socio-economic circumstances, geographic location, genetics, and a host of other factors inform one's character.

Although I am not challenging any of these viewpoints, my primary conviction is that students are that proverbial blank slate when they come into my classroom, and that it is my job to equip them with the knowledge, understanding, and kindness to go forth with a respect for learning and a responsibility to the greater community at large. My views on student learning greatly reflect the views of both Maslow and Piaget.

In fact, some of the fundamental principles of these authors and thinkers are ingrained in my personal perceptions of what I strive to do in the classroom environment. This fact certainly applies to Maslow, who is perhaps most widely known for his hierarchy of needs. The basic components of this concept advanced by Maslow is that one must initially take care of one's basic needs (typically consisting of fundamental facets of human existence such as food, clothing and shelter) prior to addressing and taking care of more advanced needs.

Initial needs of survival take precedent over others (Bull, 2014) Advanced needs include those pertaining to society and a higher sense of fulfilling one's purpose on earth. To that end I am extremely attentive of my students in the classroom, and am always trying to determine if they have the basic academic foundations provided in prior grades to see if they can understand the ideas in my class, in order to prepare them for future ones.

I also apply this sort of discernment to their personal situations in regards to monitoring for child abuse, or other forms of neglect. The concepts advanced by Vygotsky have also factored prominently into my methods for teaching. Vygotsky is primarily noted for his conception of scaffolding, in which students are able to not only learn from the teacher but from one another as well (Kenner and Weinerman, 2011).

I believe that this idea is critical to developing an educational environment in which all involved contribute to the learning process of one another. To help facilitate this notion of scaffolding and the co-dependent approach upon which it is based, I typically arrange my classroom in a circle and engage students via the Socratic Method. One of the orientations that my teaching style reflects is certainly the social/situational one.

This learning theory is based on collaboration and the tenet that people are able to learn from one another in a process that is aligned with basic social concepts (Smith, 2003). Thus, participation (which occurs subsequent to observation, in some instances) is a vital aspect to social learning theory. Again,.